Leo Ceccanti should be a familiar name to all followers of the Claremont 56 label. Alongside sometime studio partner Gianluca Salvadori, he was responsible for two delightfully distinctive Almunia albums released on the label, 2011’s New Moon and 2013’s Pulsar. Both sets were filled with golden, sun-kissed sounds, psychedelic grooves and immersive, life-affirming soundscapes.

Now he’s decided to go it alone as Leo Almunia, delivering a debut album for Claremont 56 that’s every bit as alluring, wide-eyed and evocative as those he made with Salvadori. In keeping with his previous work, the album blends layered acoustic and electric guitars with toasty bass, dreamy synthesizers and grooves that variously touch on hypnotic house, chugging mid-tempo disco, sunset-ready Balearic beats and, on the glistening, life-affirming album highlight ‘Wishing Star’, loose-limbed jazz breaks.

What’s most significant about Ceccanti’s personal musical style is not the blend of stylistic influences he draws on – think psychedelic rock, progressive rock, jazz-rock, new age ambient and slow-motion disco – but rather the way he uses it to paint vivid aural images that genuinely linger long in the memory.

After opening with the duelling guitars and chunky dub disco grooves of ‘Sinking Fields’, Ceccanti sashays between magical moments of rush-inducing positivity, heart-tugging poignance and heady nostalgia.

Along the way, you’ll find numerous sonic highlights. On the intoxicating 21st century psychedelia of ‘Panerea’, jangling chords and eyes-closed psych-rock guitar solos ride a chugging, thickset electronic bassline, while ‘Instant Love’ is a metronomic, flash-fried workout rich in fuzz-tone guitar motifs, bluesy riffs and echoing instrumental touches.

He cannily joins the dots between Mid-West Americana and throbbing, psychedelic disco-chug on ‘Loveblind’, while ‘Minor Circle’ sits somewhere between Santana, the Pat Metheny Band and sunrise-ready Balearic blues. Arguably even better is the saucer-eyed brilliance of ‘Brillo De Luna’, where a dubbed-out electronic beat becomes enveloped in life-affirming acoustic guitar chords, exotic slide guitar motifs and string-bending solos. If John Lennon had ingested MDMA rather than LSD before writing ‘Across The Universe’, it would probably sound like this.

Then there’s the album’s crowning moment, closer ‘Can’t Hold a Lover’. A heart-aching, largely ambient instrumental that channels the loneliness and anguish felt by many of those separated from their nearest and dearest during the pandemic, it sees Ceccanti brilliantly wrap a variety of sun-bright guitar textures and solos around some of the loveliest synthesizer chords you’re every likely to hear. On an album packed with effervescent, mood-enhancing musical highs, it’s a rare moment of bittersweet bliss.

Panarea (Clip)

DC Promo Tracks #995: "Suspended in Motion" by Tonarunur & Private Agenda is part of the release "Suspended in Motion EP" on Paper Recordings @paperecordings  

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DC Promo Tracks #995: Tonarunur & Private Agenda "Suspended in Motion"

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A track which thrills in the magic of the first take.

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Mix of the Week #507 is by Eder Discoteca
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Mix of the Week #507: Eder Discoteca

MM Disco kicks off 2024 straight from Kyoto. This time, we introduce the Japanese duo "Kross Section," who debuted on MM Discos under the guidance of "E84." The release includes three infectious tracks that explore the essence of "house" from a distinctly "Nu-Disco" perspective. Infinite arpeggios seamlessly intertwine with corrosive basslines, culminating in a refreshing and cosmic musical creation.

'E84' is a profoundly expressive ode to the rhythms, enriched by Kross Section's distinctive interpretation of the winter Balearic vibe. A fusion of imaginative melodies and expertly crafted percussive elements, accompanied by uplifting synths and bass that resonate from the depths. Consider it certified winter balearic hardware—we're captivated, and we're confident you will be too.

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PREMEIRE: Kross Section - E84 [MM DISCOS]

You’d be forgiven for not knowing the newest addition to the slowly expanding Claremont 56 roster. You see, there’s been no recorded output from German combo Bambi Davidson since the release of their largely overlooked “minimal post-rock” debut album, El Faco, in 2000. Until now, that is.

Following the release of their debut set, founder members Robin van Velzen (guitar/vocals) and Hans Christian Fuss (drums) became frustrated with their lot. Bored with “rocking out” as a two-piece, they decided to start inviting other musicians to join them on stage. That meant that each performance was unique, with new tunes – often improvised on the spot – being developed for, or at, every gig.

It’s an approach that frequently paid dividends. One particular collaborative gig, with Mountaineer) and Sofia Fuss, went so well that both were asked to become permanent members of the band.

into the studio to record a new album, some 15 years after they’d recorded their debut. As you’d expect with a new line-up, things are a bit different this time round. Whereas El Flaco was a stripped-back affair with most tracks featuring just guitar, drums and vocals, Bambi Davidson features additional bass, electronics and keys provided by Frank and Sophia. The result is an expansive but atmospheric album built around sensual, undulating production.

Often magical and always immersive, the six tracks that make up Bambi Davidson are delightfully contrary. While pleasingly accessible and capable of inducing broad smiles on on each listen. This is particularly true of “Foxhunting” – reminiscent of fellow Claremont 56 with Van Velzen’s weary, emotional vocals riding a wave of vibrant colours. Hazy, intoxicating and evocative, it sounds like a horizontal anthem in the making.

There are plenty of other highlights, too, from the hypnotic, pitched-down dub-disco-meets- touchy-feely rhythms and stargazing chords of “Hubble”, the four-piece’s most intergalactic cut yet. Give it time, and we guarantee that you’ll fall in love with Bambi Davidson as much as we have.

Brunswick

Lyrics:
I never know what you’re on about
The reason we don’t see you
The reason’s just a sound
But you don’t know that you’re just a sound
And me, you know,
It’s not complicated:
I’m for the birds,
Not for the cages.
The strength of your face
The length of your dying eyes
We’ve come way too far
To imagine what’s left
The strength of your faith
And I look into your dying eyes
And I look at your lying eyes

Nicolas Jaar - America! I'm For The Birds

When, like a poet, he goes down into cities,
He ennobles the fate of the lowliest things 
And enters like a king, without servants or noise, 
All the hospitals and all the castles.

Charles Baudelaire 

The Sun

(trans. William Aggeler, The Flowers of Evil Fresno, CA: Academy Library Guild, 1954)

Contralux - King Sun Dub

Jpye & Leonidas - Let The Record Spin

Jpye & Renato - Non Ci Pensare

George is an Athens-based producer/guitarist that explores new ways of sound making, merging his guitar sounds and single lines with vintage analog equipment and using a modern synthesis approach. He has worked with a wide range of artists, playing guitar live and in the studio, producing etc. Having been a member of the famous Greek band Rififi has given him airplay, press and tv interviews as well as high web and youtube visibility. In his music, he tries to amalgamate field recordings, subtle melodies, immersive soundscapes and vocals to recreate a feeling that is luminous and tranquil. His plans include setting up a stage band, further developing his solo work and also continuing with new projects.

Contralux - King Sun Dub

George Koutalieris Music

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